Chapter 37: Heavenly Spirit Divine Meridian
Every word Xiao Che spoke was resolute and decisive. He wasn't trying to comfort Xiao Lie and Xiao Lingxi, nor was he joking. This was the most determined thought in his heart, an idea he forced himself to accomplish no matter what.
His words left Xiao Lie and Xiao Lingxi stunned for a long time. Then, Xiao Lingxi shook her head, looking at him with tear-filled eyes. "Xiao Che, I don't need this from you. I just want you to be safe and protect yourself... When the day comes that I can leave this place, I will definitely come find you... But you must never do anything foolish, and never do anything dangerous."
In her eyes, he was still the boy who needed her protection and care. She could hear the determination in his words... Having this intention was already enough. How could she be willing to let him truly risk his life for them?
"Don't worry, I will of course protect myself," Xiao Che said with a gentle smile as he looked at her. "Because Grandpa and Little Aunt are still here waiting for me. Because... I still have a promise to Little Aunt that I haven't fulfilled."
"Promise?" Xiao Lingxi's gaze flickered, looking at him in confusion.
But Xiao Che didn't explain. He walked up to Xiao Lie, knelt on both knees, and gave him a heavy kowtow. "Grandpa, I am your grandson, Xiao Che. I have lived comfortably under your protection for sixteen years. Now it's time for me to spread my wings and soar. You are a great grandfather, and your grandson will never continue to be a waste and bring shame to you... Wait for me. I will definitely come back. Before I return, you must... take good care of yourself."
"Good... good!" Xiao Lie nodded slowly, his voice trembling, tears glistening in his eyes. He stepped forward and helped Xiao Che up, then took out a wooden token with a white tassel and placed it in Xiao Che's hand. "Che'er, Xiao Sect has expelled you, and this Flowing Cloud City can no longer accommodate you. Your profound veins are crippled, and you have never left Flowing Cloud City in your life. Although I am extremely worried... your eyes make me feel at ease and comforted. If you have no other good place to go, take this token to a city called 'New Moon' and inquire about a man named Sikong Han."
"Sikong Han came to Flowing Cloud City a few years ago. I did him a favor, and he gave me this token in return. When you find him in New Moon City, show him this token and tell him you are my grandson. Perhaps he can arrange a place for you to stay."
Even as he said "at ease" and "comforted," the worry and concern in his eyes and expression were impossible to hide. This grandson, with almost no profound energy and who had never left Flowing Cloud City, would now be alone and without support. How could he not be worried? How could he not feel pain?
Xiao Che grasped the wooden token in his hand and nodded firmly. "Before I leave, I want to go pay respects to... Uncle Xiao."
"Mm." Xiao Lie nodded with relief.
"Xiao Che!" The moment Xiao Che turned around, Xiao Lingxi grabbed him again, her hands clutching tightly, her gaze full of reluctance that nearly melted Xiao Che's heart.
How he longed to take Xiao Lingxi and Xiao Lie with him... But he had only a heart full of determination and impulse, without the ability or the right. At least in this dark place, they were relatively safe.
"Little Aunt," Xiao Che said softly, gently holding Xiao Lingxi's hand and looking at her with tender eyes. "I can't bear to leave you, even more than you can't bear to leave me... So I will come back in the shortest time possible. I swear... I will fulfill that promise I made to Little Aunt that night..."
Xiao Lingxi's hand slowly loosened, and Xiao Che's grip on her hand also gradually released... Then he turned and walked straight ahead, his steps slow, but he never looked back... Because he was afraid that if he turned around, he would never be able to leave... and even more afraid that if he turned around, they would see the tears he could no longer hold back as he turned away.
Grandpa... Little Aunt... I will return within three years... Wait for me... Wait for me!!
Promise... Promise...
Xiao Lingxi watched Xiao Che's figure grow farther and farther away through tear-blurred eyes, her mind wandering and murmuring... Suddenly, a sentence from that night echoed in her heart.
"If you weren't my Little Aunt, I would definitely marry you!"
Xiao Lingxi suddenly covered her lips, and in an instant, the tears she had been holding back for so long burst forth like a flood, uncontrollably streaming down her face.
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At the Xiao Sect Cemetery.
Standing before Xiao Ying's grave, Xiao Che stared at the old tombstone for a long time. Then he knelt on both knees and lightly kowtowed three times. When he raised his eyes, his gaze was filled with determination.
"Uncle Xiao, I will never forget your great kindness to my Yun family. If the day comes when I learn that my parents are still alive, I will do everything in my power to find them and the son they took away back then... your son. When I am strong enough, I will definitely find the person who assassinated you that year and avenge you and Grandpa!"
Before Xiao Ying's grave, Xiao Che made a solemn oath. After standing up, he bowed deeply once more and then walked away with heavy steps.
"From now on, I am no longer Xiao Che... My name is Yun Che!"
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The news of Xiao Yulong's brutal injury shook the entire Xiao Sect, keeping it in turmoil the entire night. Xiao Yunhai, furious and grief-stricken, fell unconscious for a long time. When he woke up, he frantically ordered a search for the culprit, but after a whole night of effort, they couldn't even find a single trace or clue.
The most plausible explanation was that someone within the sect had done it!
Xiao Kuangyun was also quite angry about this, but he only fumed a little, regretting the loss of a servant who would have been obedient and useful. But he could find such servants anywhere. However, now that Xiao Yulong was neither human nor ghost, he definitely couldn't bring him back to the Xiao Sect. So his choice naturally fell on the person who had ranked second in yesterday's "assessment."
That was Xiao Chengzhi, the youngest grandson of Third Elder Xiao Ze.
Thus, Xiao Ze and Xiao Chengzhi were overjoyed.
But everyone in the sect looked at Xiao Ze differently now. Especially Xiao Yunhai and Xiao Li; when they looked at Xiao Ze, their eyes clearly hid intense killing intent!
If it was someone from within the sect who crippled Xiao Yulong, then Xiao Ze was undoubtedly the prime suspect.
But these things were clearly none of Xiao Kuangyun's concern. That afternoon, the four of them from the Xiao Sect took Xiao Chengzhi and, escorted by the dignitaries of Xiao Sect and Flowing Cloud City, left Flowing Cloud City and set out on the road back to the Xiao Sect. Actually, with the Xiao Sect's abilities, dispatching a few flying profound beasts would be easy, but this time, the Xiao Sect's Sect Master personally ordered that Xiao Yulong could not use flying profound beasts for the entire journey to temper him.
After Xiao Kuangyun and his group had gone far, Chu Yueli also prepared to take Xia Qingyue back to the Bing Yun Fairy Palace.
"Master." Xia Qingyue, having bid farewell to her father and brother, returned to Chu Yueli's side.
Chu Yueli turned around, her face cold and peerlessly beautiful. "The Bing Yun Fairy Palace is extremely far from here. After returning, I don't know when we'll have another chance to come back. Make sure you have no lingering attachments."
"Rest assured, Master. I have prepared everything and can leave with you at any time. Though my father is reluctant, he has always been deeply gratified that I can enter the Bing Yun Fairy Palace."
Chu Yueli nodded. "If that's the case, let's set off now. After I mentioned you to the Palace Master, she wanted to see you many years ago. I'm sure she will like you when she meets you."
"Father has already prepared profound horses for us. Please move to the front courtyard, Master," Xia Qingyue said respectfully.
"No need," Chu Yueli shook her head. "Profound horses are too slow. I will use 'Mystic Void Crossing' to take you back. During this process, you must carefully sense the changes in my profound energy. It will greatly benefit your future cultivation... Let's go. Give me your hand."
Without hesitation, Xia Qingyue extended her fair right hand. Obviously, Chu Yueli was going to use "Mystic Void Crossing" to fly through the air with her, which stirred some excitement and anticipation in her heart.
Chu Yueli reached out with her slightly cold hand and clasped Xia Qingyue's hand. Immediately, a flash of icy light flickered around her, and the immensely powerful Ice Cloud Art began to circulate rapidly... But at that moment, Chu Yueli's entire body trembled violently, and the Ice Cloud Art she had just gathered dissipated without a trace. She turned around and stared at Xia Qingyue with wide eyes... It was a gaze of utmost shock, as if witnessing the most unbelievable thing in the world.
"Master? What's wrong?" Xia Qingyue was startled by Chu Yueli's sudden intense reaction and asked in a panic.
"Impossible... Absolutely impossible!"
Chu Yueli muttered absentmindedly, then reached out with her other hand, both hands grabbing Xia Qingyue's right wrist. Another flash of icy light, and Chu Yueli's beautiful eyes widened even more. Her whole body trembled more and more violently, her face and eyes filled with indescribable shock, disbelief... and wild joy! She gripped Xia Qingyue's hand tightly, looking into her eyes, so intensely agitated that she couldn't speak for a moment.
Her reaction made Xia Qingyue increasingly alarmed. "Master... what... what exactly is going on?"
"Qingyue!" Chu Yueli felt the frantic beating of her heart could not be calmed or stopped. Cultivating the Ice Cloud Art, one's mind gradually becomes cold and still, rarely stirred. It had been many years since she had lost control of her emotions like this. "Tell Master, what miraculous encounter have you had recently? Have you met some extraordinary person? Or have you eaten some heaven-defying divine pill?"
"I..." Xia Qingyue was momentarily speechless.
"A person's profound veins have a total of fifty-four profound gates. Those with ordinary talent can naturally open about ten gates; those with high talent can naturally open about fifteen gates. When I found you back then, I discovered that you were naturally born with twenty-one open gates, a talent that appears only once in a million! The more gates opened, the faster one's profound energy cultivation and circulation speed. Someone with twenty open gates cultivates and circulates energy twice as fast as someone with ten open gates."
"Opening gates later in life is extremely difficult. Even someone as strong as the Palace Master, in a hundred years, has only opened seven gates in total, reaching the supreme level of thirty gates. Currently, in the entire Cang Feng Empire, there are no more than five people who can reach thirty gates later in life! The Tongxuan Powder that the Xiao Sect gave to the Xiao Sect can increase cultivation speed because it temporarily opens three to four more gates for a few days, but only temporarily... Even so, Tongxuan Powder is quite a precious pill even within the Xiao Sect."
"But as for you, Qingyue..." Chu Yueli gripped Xia Qingyue's shoulders tightly, staring at her without blinking. "All fifty-four profound gates are open! And all of them are permanently open! Do you know what this means? It means your cultivation speed and energy circulation speed are nearly twice as fast as the Palace Master's! Over five times faster than an ordinary person! Moreover, you will have no restrictions in cultivating any profound techniques or skills. And when you break through profound realms, you will never encounter a 'bottleneck'!"
"A profound vein with all fifty-four gates open is known in legends as the 'Heavenly Spirit Divine Meridian' — a profound vein that only the legendary gods possess! The Cang Feng Empire has never had one! Qingyue... what exactly have you experienced during this time?"
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[Yes. Yun Che has successfully left the beginner's village... Next up is the level 1-10 monster zone. Time to power up!!]